Telling the stories behind the passionate pursuit of great beer since 2005.Do you need a copy of my book - Beer Lover's Mid-Atlantic?

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

What IS a Seasonal?

Jack asked for our input a little while ago about whether 'seasonals' being the most popular beer is a good thing. I've debated this with myself for a while (and flip-flopped...hey, 'tis the season) and come to a conclusion...sort of, kind of, maybe. Seasonal as a category is somewhat ambiguous. Afterall, almost every beer could be shoe-horned into a season of the year and thus be called a seasonal. So, what does it really mean, what value does that categorization mean? Is 'bock' a style or a spring seasonal? What about barleywine, a winter seasonal? I'm not convinced; why can't we commit to which actual styles are trending up and down?
But, if beers are being marketed to newer craft beer consumers as being tied to a particular season - and it works - then, I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, if we are relying upon specialties, one-off wow beers, and 'seasonals' to drive and sustain growth, then I don't believe it's such a good thing. Getting people to drink better beer on a regular basis and not just for the next big thing is a better way to go. So, I believe that I'm saying I agree with Jack.
All that being said, you may have noticed that I put up a seasonal listing of Oktoberfest, fresh hop harvest, and pumpkin beers being brewed up by our Philadelphia regional brewers. Plus a few extra goodies from those brewers who offered up the details.
As I get more details, I'll update the list and bump it to the top of The Brew Lounge's homepage...as I've done just.....now. (new info from Nodding Head and Dock Street)